Another auction highlight in may will be a Ref. 6152/1 “Luminor Panerai” watch: Sotheby’s Important Watches in Geneva presents the watch of a famous owner on may 14th, 2014 (LOT 298).

Features of the watch:
Reference: 6152/1
Dial: “Luminor Panerai” (sandwich, engraved)
Case number: 1249XX
Movement: Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 4

The watch comes from the descendants of Admiral Gino Birindelli (1911 – 2008). It is one of very few existing Ref. 6152/1 watches with rotating plexi bezel. The movement of the watch is corresponding with our database, being a typical Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 4 version with incabloc shock protection and 17 jewels.

During the 2nd world war, Gino Birindelli was a pilot in the early SLC missions G.A.1 (August 1940 against Alexandra, transported by the submarine Iride), B.G.1 and B.G.2 (October 1940) in which he and his well known comrads (Damos Paccagnini, Teseo Tesei, Luigi Durant De La Penne, Alcide Pedretti, Emilio Bianchi / Gastone Bertozzi, Giuseppe Viglioli) were transported by the submarine Scirè under the command of Junio Valerio Borghese against targets in the harbour of Gibraltar. Birindelli and his co-pilot Paccagnini were captured and became POW. After his release from POW he was awarded with the gold medal for galantry at war (M.O.V.M.) in 1943 for his achievement during the mission B.G.2 in Gibraltar, 1940.

After the 2nd world war, Birindelli was commander of the Com.Sub.In. (Comando Subacquei ed Incursori) special forces in Varignano near La Spezia from 1948 to 1950 and from 1954 to 1956. Later he became commander of NATO forces of the Mediterranean in the early 1970s, followed by a political career in the italian parliament.

We hope the watch will find a good new home and that it remain surfaced in the Vintage Panerai collectors world. [Ralf Ehlers & Volker Wiegmann]

[Photo of the Ref. 6152/1 watch with kindly permission / courtesy of www.sothebys.com]

The german watch magazine “Chronos” featured the Vintage Panerai Ref. 6152/1 – “The Arillo Luminor”– with an overview (page 64-69) about the details of the watch and the history behind its first owner, italian commander of the submarine “Ambra”, Mario Arillo (M.O.V.M.). The february-april issue “Chronos Spezial” is entirely about Panerai’s roots and history with a review from the past until today, including tests, movements and milestone models.

“The Arillo Luminor” is fully described in our book “History1″ in Chapter IV on 165 pages with 106 photos and 7 technical illustrations. The book “History1″ is in stock. It can be ordered directly in our bookstore.

Get your copy of the “Chronos Spezial” 1/2014 now at the newspaper stores across europe. Find more info at www.watchtime.net [Ralf Ehlers & Volker Wiegmann]

Close look at the “Luminor Panerai” dial of a Ref. 6152/1 watch. The surface of the sandwich dial with the milled and white painted letters is showing pure Panerai DNA above the double pencil hands.

This Vintage Panerai watch is featured in our book “History1″. You can read more about its first owner Mario Arillo in chapter IV, page 227-391.

A nicely captured Vintage Panerai Ref. 6152/1 “Luminor Panerai” in the focus, showing an orange coated plexi. The side area of the plexi shows markings from a rotating bezel, which was once attached but did not “survived” until today. Aside this watch, other today existing watches with similar plexi glasses to carry a rotating bezel are filed in our database. The watch is equipped with “double pencil” hands (“sharp pin” version). Under the non-engraved caseback and dust lid, the engine of the watch is a typical Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 4 movement with 17 Rubis and Incablock shock protection.

Today, the reason for the transparent orange coating on the plexi isn’t known. Either it has been applied for a practical reason (anti-reflecting or camouflage) or the color of the coating has been aged and so changed its color over the years, adding up this orange patina.

A side-by-side view onto two Ref. 6152/1 Vintage Panerai watches. While both watches with the legendary crown protecting device using a “Luminor Panerai” dial, their movements are different: The left Ref. 6152/1 is powered with an Angelus Cal. 240 SF (8 days) movement (15 Rubis and Incabloc shock protection, signed “JUIN .61″) and the right Ref. 6152/1 is powered with a Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 4 (17 Rubis and Incabloc shock protection) movement.

Noteable is also, that the opened casebacks are different too: on the caseback of the watch with Angelus movement, the Rolex stamp has been milled off, while the watch with Rolex movement is bearing the typical 6152/1 stamp in the middle of its inner caseback.

Close look at the “Luminor Panerai” dial of a Ref. 6152/1 watch. The surface of the sandwich dial with the milled letters is showing pure Panerai DNA behind the double pencil hands.

This Vintage Panerai watch is featured in our book “History1″. You can read more about its first owner Mario Arillo in chapter IV, page 227-391.

Tried to catch the fantastic domed shape and the reflecting edges of the huge Plexiglas on a Ref. 6152/1 together with the “Luminor Panerai” engraving on the sandwich dial… pure Panerai DNA!

This Vintage Panerai watch is featured in our book “History1″. You can read more about its first owner Mario Arillo in chapter IV, page 227-391.

During the holidays I found time to change the strap of my 6152/1. I decided to give the initial strap a little break after some months since it was put on the watch for the shooting of our book “History1”. The dark brown calf strap comes in the size of 90 x 150 mm with double keeper (one floating, one fixed) and GPF-buckle.

After I pushed out the pins on the lugs I gave the case a little cleaning with a soft cloth. The strap got a careful treatment with some grease before it was stored away to keep it in good condition for a future use. Always nice to see the details of the “Luminor Panerai” dial thru the thick plexiglass…

I fitted a vintage strap in the size 100 x 160 mm which has been initially used on a Panerai instrument. The very thick and soft strap has an olive-brown color and beige stitching, also one fixed and one gliding keeper. The brushed stainless steel buckle holds a three digit matriculation number.

This is how the watch will be carried into the new year – wishing everyone a good start in 2013! [Volker Wiegmann]

A vintage Ref. 6152/1 with Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 4 movement and “Luminor Panerai” dial (case number: 124806) is featured in a test report on PAM 372 (“Panerai Luminor 1950 3 Days 47 mm”) in the actual issue 1/2013 of watch magazine “Chronos” (Germany).

The report on pages 80 to 87 shows the historical roots of the “simple and beautiful” PAM 372 with the inhouse P.3000 calibre, written by Jens Koch with photos by Marcus Krüger. The report is a part of the annual 2013 test-compilation of the magazine, in which 32 tested watches have been published.

Get your copy at the newspaper stores across europe.
Find more info at www.watchtime.net

A rare Ref. 6152/1 “Luminor Panerai” infront of the camera. Produced by Panerai for the italian state police divers (“Sommozzatori della Polizia di Stato”, founded in 1958). It bears a rare engraving on the backside of the case: “P.S. 02”.

Today other type of engravings on the casebacks of some few Vintage Panerai watches are known from the italian helmet divers (“S.M.Z.”) and combat swimmers of the Marina Militare (“M.M.”), aside italian police institutions as the Guardia di Finanza (“G.F.”) and Carabinieri (“C.C.”). Some examples for the italian fire brigades (“V.F.”) are known too.

It is interesting to see that Panerai has been a trustful supplier for different italian divers – military and also civil units.

Features of the watch:
Reference: 6152/1
Dial: “Luminor Panerai” (sandwich, engraved)
Case number: 124816
Movement: Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 4